PROBLEMS. I. The recently published work, "The Secret Doctrine," by H. P. Blavatsky, Vol. I, p. XLVI of the introduction, says there still exists, somewhere in the archives of the French Academy, the famous law of probabilities worked out by an algebraical process for the benefit of sceptics by certain mathematicians. It is as follows: "If two persons give their evidence to a fact, and thus impart to it each of them of certitude, that fact will have then 35 of certitude; i. e. its probability will bear to its improbability the ratio of 35 to 1. If three such evidences are joined together the certitude will become 21858. The agreement of ten persons giving each of certitude will produce 182, etc., etc." 1023 Are these statements correct? PHILOMATH. 2. A sportsman was asked how many birds he had taken, and replied : If 5 be added to of those I took last year, it will make of the number I have taken this year; but if from 3 times this last half 5 be taken, you will have the number taken last year. How many did he take each year? JONAS. 3. In an old mathematical work is found the following problem : How far did the lost spirits fall in 9 days, as stated in Milton's "Paradise Lost," Book vi, line 861 "Nine days they fell"; and Book, Ix, lines 62-69: 4. "Thence, full of anguish driven, The space of seven continued nights he rode From pole to pole, traversing each colure; On the eighth returned, and on the coast, averse, JONAS. The following problem has been proposed, but the answer has not been forthcoming : Suppose a body move eternally in the following manner: 20 miles the first minute, 19 miles the second minute, 19 miles the third, and so on in geometrical progression. What is the utmost distance it can reach? 5. A company of men and women expend at a feast The men pay each 19 francs, and the women 11 francs. men and how many women are there? L. O. K. 1000 francs. How many L. O. K. If he 6. A man desires to reach home exactly at 12 o'clock noon. travels 10 miles an hour, he arrive home 2 hours too soon; but if he travels 6 miles an hour, he arrives home 2 hours to late. is he from home? How far C. C. QUESTIONS. 1. (a) What is the form of the geometrical figure called a gnomon ? What is an escribed circle ? (b) (h) (i) Why do we say long and short ton for greater and lesser ton? What is duodenal arithmetic, and where can a treatise on it be Where in James Ryan's Algebra is the pupil instructed to 'complete the square" in solving equations? 66 Why is the fifth power (25—32) called a sursolid? 2. (a) Why do the Anglo-Israel people call the United States of America, Manasseh, the half-tribe of Joseph, and are we to infer that we are, therefore, descendants of Joseph and Asenath (Gen XLI, 51). (b) What is the title of the book by Rev. Jesse H. Jones, said to have been written to prove that the United States of America is "the kingdom of heaven "already come ? (c) What professor has recently published a work proving that the lost Paradise is situated at the North Pole. (d) Can any reader tell me of any good work giving_the_theory, prophecy, plans, etc., of the return of the Jews to Jerusalem ? 3. Is the the correct meaning of the word roots indicate, cali fornica, "a hot furnace " ? 4. ISAAC T. POLKHORN. Where can be found among the ancient historians the account of the fabulous story of the phœnix? 5. A quotation from Washington Irving says of one of the Dutch governors of New York, that "he was exactly five feet six inches in height, and six feet five inches in circumference; his head was a perfect sphere, and of stupenduous dimensions.,' What governor was this, and when did he govern? AQUILLA Q. FORD. 6. Where in Massachusetts is the Potanumaqunt Harbor, mentioned in connection with the loss of the Sparrow-Hawk wrecked in 1626 ? AUGUSTUS. 7. Where can a catalogue of the names of the F. F. V's. (First Families of Virginia) be found? V. 8. Is the name Phillipi the plural of Phillipus? Phillipides? Why do the Spanish spell Philip Felipe? Who were the V. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND QUERIES, WITH ANSWERS. "Stand out from between me and the Sun." DIOGENES. VOL. VI. FEBRUARY, 1889. No. 2. 66 ERRONEOUS SPELLING. S. S. Haldeman, in his work on Penn Dutch," took from the file of a native druggist the names of certain drugs called for, viz. : Allaways, Barrickgorrick, Sider in de ment, Essig of Iseck, Hirum Packer, Cinment, Cienwepper, Sension, Saint Cum, Opien, High Cyrap, Senoand mano misct, Sking, Coroces Suplement, Red puesepeite, Ammelime, Lockwouth, Absom's salts, Mick nisey, Corgel, Chebubs, By crematarter potash, Balderzon, Tower beans, Cots Shyned. These properly written are as follows : Aloes, Paregoric, Citrine ointment, Acetic acid, Hicru Picra, Cinnamon, Guiana pepper, Gentian, Cinchona, Opium, Hive Syrup, Senna and Manna mixed, Sulphate of Zinc, Corrosive Sublimate, Red Precipitate, Aniline, Logwood, Epsom Salts, Magnesia, Cordial, Cubebs, Bichromate of Potash, Valriean (G. Balprian), Laurel Berries, Cochineal. Haldeman also gives some examples of misdirected letters : Bintgrof, Scur E. Quss, Nu Yourck Sevaber, Gandoge, Schickets Laenghaester Caunte, Burgix Caunte. These properly spelled are: Pinegrove, Syracuse, New York, Safe Harbor, Kentucky, Chiquis, Lancaster county, Berks county. Druggists and postmasters who understand the dialect however, can read these examples with a good deal of ease. Many other lists could be given which are not only curious but instructive. I. B., M. D., Oakville, Penn. Coins and Medals. Some amusing examples of the manner in which coins and medals have been employed, in which they serve as curious mirrors of public feeling, and as permanent records of transitory passion. There is a medal, coined in the time of Joseph of Austria, bearing this inscription: Josephus Imperator regnat amore et timore, facit MDCCV. (The Emperor Josephus reigns by love and fear, which make MDCCV.) On the reverse is a curious cabbalistic interpretation, thus given: The exergue, or small space beneath the base line of the " cabbalæ clavis," contains this : "Sit ineffabilis, sit innumerabilis Austriæ gloria." The date of the reform of the calendar in 1700, is curiously and variously recorded in many medals of the time. Here are some specimens which give the dates in Roman numerals : (1) (2) GereChtes Lobopfer Denk Mahl. MDCLL. (The record of merited gratitude.) Geen Darten CaLenDers DenkzahL. DDDCLL. (In remembrance of the reformation of the calendar.) (3) Hoert doch, wunder! In Jahr MDCC. wusten de leuthe nicht (Listen to a wonder ! wie alt sie waren. In the year 1700 people did not know how old they were.) There is a medal struck at Ostend, one side of which exhibits a map of the neighborhood of Helvoetsluys, and the other a battle between the Spaniards and the Flemings at the taking of Ostends, with this inscription in Greek : CHRYSEA CHALKEION. Here is this chronogram in Latin : Itane fLan DrIaM LIberas Iber. MDLLIIII. (Is it thus, Spaniard! thou freest Flanders? Another medal has the following to celebrate the Peace of 1678. a DoMIno VenIens pop VLIs paX Læta refVLget. MDLLLXVWIII. (Peace, which is the gift of heaven, brings gladness to the people.) There is a medal of William III containing the names of all the British sovereigns, with the date of their succession to the throne, and |